Bike simulator

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a bike simulator including: a base frame; a slope frame rotatably connected to the base frame so as to apply a tilting back and forth to a seated bike; a roll frame fixing a frame of the bike seated on the slope frame and rotatably connected to the slope frame so as to apply a horizontal slope to the bike; and a rear wheel support provided in the slope frame, supporting a rear wheel of the seated bike, and including a load generating unit configured to control rotary force transferred to the rear wheel. In the bike simulator according to the present invention, a bike which an actual user possesses can be fixed and applied, and as a result, the user can feel an extreme realistic traveling sense.

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/219,138; filed on Sep. 16, 2015, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a bike simulator, and more particularly, to a bike simulator which can simulate traveling in various terrains.

Discussion of the Related Art

In recent years, various technologies for virtual experiences have been developed and indoor exercise related technologies using the same have been rapidly developed. In regard to the exercise, since all people can easily enjoy a bike exercise regardless of sex and an age and feel various traveling senses depending on a terrain, the bike exercise is popular sports. Meanwhile, development of a technology for transferring a similar sense to actual traveling even indoors by combining the bike exercise and a virtual reality technology is proposed.

As related associated therewith, US Patent Registration Nos. U.S. Pat. No. 7,224,326 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,271 and Korean Patent Registration No. KR1,094,858 are opened. However, the related art is limited in transferring the actual traveling sense by controlling only simple rotational resistance. Further, as the related art, technologies which can apply various angles by simulating a shape of the bike are developed, but the corresponding technologies are limited in simulating the actual traveling sense of the bike.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a bike simulator which allows a user to feel an extreme realistic traveling sense in order to solve a problem in which it is difficult to simulate an actual traveling sense in a bike simulator in the related art.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a bike simulator may include: a base frame; a slope frame rotatably connected to the base frame so as to apply a tilting back and forth to a seated bike; a roll frame fixing a frame of the bike seated on the slope frame and rotatably connected to the slope frame so as to apply a tilting left and right to a seated bike to the bike; and a rear wheel support provided in the slope frame, supporting a rear wheel of the seated bike, and comprising a load generating unit configured to control rotary force transferred to the rear wheel.

In this case, the bike simulator may further include a front wheel support provided in the slope frame and movable back and forward so as to support the front wheel at the time of seating bikes having various sizes.

In addition, the bike simulator may further comprising, wherein the slope frame includes a hinge connected with the base frame, a slope adjusting unit configured to control a relative angle between the slope frame and the base frame.

Meanwhile, the slope adjusting unit may be configured by a linear actuator of which one end is connected with the slope frame and the other end is connected with the base frame.

Meanwhile, the roll frame may be configured in such a manner that a rotary axis is positioned in line to the front wheel support and the load generating unit so as to simulate a tilting left and right of the bike during actual traveling.

Furthermore, the roll frame may comprising a fixing link which extends to a frame of the bike so as to prevent interference when the user uses the bike simulator.

In this case, the fixing link may be configured to adjust a height and a length so as to fix bikes having different sizes.

Further, the roll frame may be configured to comprise a rotary actuator which is coaxially with the rotary axis.

Meanwhile, the load generating unit may comprise a load wheel and a load motor, the load wheel may rotate together when the rear wheel rotates in contact with the rear wheel, and the load motor may be configured to control torque applied to the load wheel.

In addition, the rear wheel support may be configured to further comprising a rolling guide supporting the rear wheel at a apart from the load wheel at the time of seating the bike and rotating together with the rotation of the rear wheel.

Meanwhile, the load generating unit may be configured with a width to support the rear wheel when the bike fixed to the roll frame is tilted left and right by the rotation of the roll frame.

In addition, the front wheels support may be comprising rotary joint so as to support the front wheel when changing an angle of the front wheel depending on steering by the user.

Meanwhile, the slope frame and the roll frame may be driven by oil pressure.

In addition, each of the rear wheel support and the front wheel support may be further comprising a vibration generating unit configured to simulate a sense depending on a road surface during the actual traveling.

Additionally, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a bike simulator may include: a base frame; a slope frame configured to apply a tilting back and forth to a seated bike; a roll frame provided in the slope frame, fixing a frame of the bike seated on the slope frame at the rear side of the bike, and configured to apply a tilting left and right to the bike; a rear wheel support provided in the slope frame, supporting a rear wheel of the seated bike, and configured to control a resistance load when a user of the bike performs pedaling; and hinges provided at a location biased to the roll frame so that the slope frame and the base frame are configured to relatively rotate and a rotary center of the slope frame is adjacent to a center of gravity including a load applied to the slope frame.

Herein, the base frame may be configured to be symmetric, the slope frame may be positioned at the center of the base frame, and the hinges may connect both sides of the slope frame with the base frame.

Further, the hinges may be provided at a location adjacent to the rear wheel rather than a front wheel of the bike when the bike is seated.

In addition, the bike simulator may further include a vibration generating unit configured to simulate a sense depending on a road surface during actual traveling and provided adjacent to the front wheel and the rear wheel when the bike is seated.

Additionally, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a bike simulator may include: a slope frame configured to seat and fix various types of bikes and configured to independently a slope in a first direction to the fixed bike; a roll frame subordinate to the slope in the first direction of the bike and configured to apply a slope in a second direction which is vertical to the slope in the first direction; and a load generating unit configured to generate resistance to rotation of a wheel of the bike independently from the slope.

Herein, the slope in the first direction may be a back and forth slope while the bike is fixed and the slope in the second direction may be a left and right slope while the bike is fixed.

According to the present invention, a slope of 2 axes or more can be applied and a bike which an actual user possesses can be fixed and applied, and as a result, the user can feel an extreme realistic traveling sense.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bike simulator except for a bike of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a back view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a slope frame;

FIG. 6 is an partial perspective view of a fixing link;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a front/rear wheel support;

FIG. 8 is a conceptual view of a hydraulic system; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are use state views of an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bike simulator 20 except for a bike 10 of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a back view of FIG. 2.

A bike simulator 20 according to the present invention is configured to include a base frame 100, a slope frame 200, a roll frame 300, a front wheel support 400, a rear wheel support 500, a hydraulic power unit 610, and a sensor unit (not illustrated) and may be configured to be used by seating various types of bikes 10. And it showed only the frame and the wheels of the bike, for convenience of description and is omitted with respect to remaining components of the bike.

The base frame 100 wholly supports the bike simulator 20 and is configured to be joined with other components. The base frame 100 may be configured in a height so as for seating surfaces which are surface on which two wheels of the bike 10 are seated to be spaced apart from a ground surface by a predetermined distance when the bike 10 is fixed. In detail, the base frame 100 may be formed at an appropriate height so as not to be shocked by contacting a floor even when the slope frame 200 is inclined at a limit angle. The base frame 100 may be configured in a shape to stably support the bike simulator 20 by considering a center of gravity and inertial force when the bike simulator 20 is inclined in a tilting back and forth or left and right while the bike 10 is seated. The base frame 100 may be configured in a symmetric shape so as to stably support the bike simulator 20 at the time of applying the slope in both directions when the bike 10 is seated. Therefore, when the bike 10 is set, left and right sides may be symmetrically configured. Meanwhile, the base frame 100 may be configured to include a plurality of stairs 110 so that the user easily rides on the bike 10 seated at a predetermined height. Meanwhile, a shape of the illustrated base frame 100 is one example and may have various shapes to stably support the bike simulator 20.

The bike 10 is set on the slope frame 200 and is configured to apply a longitudinal slope of the bike 10 while the bike 10 is set. The top surface of the slope frame 200 may be substantially flatly configured so as to simulate the ground surface and a space is formed providing components including a vibration generating unit, a slope adjust unit 120, and the like to be described below may be formed inside the slope frame 200. Further, a rotational inertial moment is preferably minimized for rapid reaction of the simulator and further, weight reduction is preferable.

The slope frame 200 is comprising the seating surface which is seating bike 10 and is configured to fix a frame of the bike 10 while the bike 10 is seat. Accordingly, when the slope frame 200 itself is tilted in the longitudinal direction, the bike 10 is also inclined together. That is, a relative rotational angle of the slope frame 200 with the base frame 100 varies to control a pitch of the seated bike 10.

The slope frame 200 may be rotatably connected to the base frame 100. The slope frame 200 is positioned at the center of the base frame 100 and even when the roll frame 300 to be described below is tilted in the width direction, the base frame 100 may stably support the slope frame 200. In this case, the slope frame 200 has a pair of hinge 250 provided at both sides thereof to be connected with the base frame 100. Locations of the hinges 250 may be determined as locations adjacent to the center of gravity so as to smoothly rotate by considering a load applied to the slope frame 200, which include the front wheel support 400, the rear wheel support 500, the bike 10, the user and the roll frame 300 itself. In detail, the longitudinal location may become a location adjacent to a rear wheel rather than a front wheel by considering weights of components such as the roll frame 300 which is positioned in the rear of the slope frame(200) to be described below when the bike 10 is set. Therefore, the hinges 250 may smoothly rotate and prevent an excessive load to a slope adjust unit 120 to be described below. Heights of the hinges 250 are determined to be equal to or close to the height of the seating surface to similarly simulate a variation of the slope depending on an inclination of the ground surface during actual traveling.

The slope of the slope frame 200 may vary by actuating the slope adjust unit 120. In this case, one side of the slope adjust unit 120 is connected to the slope frame 200 and the other side of the slope adjust unit 120 is connected to the base frame 100. Therefore, the slope frame 200 may be inclined forward or rearward around the hinge 250 according to a stroke of the slope adjust unit 120. In this case, the slope adjust unit 120 is constituted by a linear actuator and the slope adjust unit 120 may be connected to a location which is a middle point of the stroke while the slope frame 200 being flat. Therefore, as the stroke of the slope adjust unit 120 is actuated around the middle point, an inclination direction and an inclination angle of the slope adjust unit 120 may vary. However, the constitution of the slope adjust unit 120 is one example and may be modified and applied in various constitutions in which the slope may be applied to the slope frame 200, which include a rotary actuator, and the like.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the slope frame 200 and FIG. 6 is an partial perspective view of a fixing link 310.

The slope frame 200 may comprising the roll frame 300, the front wheel support 400, and the rear wheel support 500.

The roll frame 300 is configured to apply a tilting left and right to the bike 10 seated on the slope frame 200. The roll frame 300 may be configured to comprising a fixing link fixing the frame of the bike 10.

One side of the fixing link 310 is configured to strongly fix the bike 10 while the bike 10 is seated on the slope frame 200 and the other side of the fixing link 310 is connected with the roll frame 300. The fixing link 310 may be configured to extend to a rear side of the bike 10 to fix the frame of the bike 10 so as to prevent interference when the user uses the simulator by riding on the bike 10. Meanwhile, the fixing link 310 is preferably fixed to the frame close to a saddle so as to prevent interference of a tire and the user.

The fixing link 310 may be configured to comprising a length adjusting unit and a height adjusting unit so as to fix the frame of the bike 10 according to various sizes and types. The fixing link 310 is used for fixing the bike 10 as a preparation step before executing the simulation.

The fixing link 310 connected with the frame of the bike 10 as described above is provided at one side of the roll frame 300 and the other side of the roll frame 300 is configured to be connected to the rear side of the slope frame 200 to rotate relatively to the slope frame 200. That is, a roll of the bike 10 is controlled and in detail, the roll is controlled around a rotary axis.

The roll frame 300 may be configured to rotate at a predetermined angle together with the bike 10 with a connected point with the slope frame 200 as a rotation axis so as to apply a tilting left and right—the width direction slope—the bike. In this case, the rotation axis may be a axis including a front-wheel contact point and a rear-wheel contact point on the seating surface so as to similarly simulate a horizontal motion of the bike 10 during the actual traveling. In this case, a motion which the bike 10 is tilted left and right based on contact points of an actual tire may be simulated. In this case, the rotary actuator 350 may be provided to generate the tilting left and right. The rotary actuator 350 may be provided at a location coaxially with a rotary center of the roll frame 300. Meanwhile, the rotary actuator 350 for rotating the roll frame 300 is just one example and may adopt various constitutions which enable rotation.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a front and a rear wheel support 400, 500.

The front wheel support 400 is configured to support the front wheel of the bike 10 seated on the slope frame 200. The frame of bike 10 is fixed while closely attaching the rear wheel of the bike 10 to a load generation unit 510 provided in the rear wheel support 500 at the time of fixing the bike 10. In this case, a wheel base of the bike 10 varies depending on a type and a size of the bike and the front wheel support 400 is configured to passively move in the longitudinal direction so as to stably seat the front wheel even though the wheel base varies.

The front wheel support 400 may be configured to comprise a rotary joint 410 and a front wheel vibration generating unit 420.

The rotary joint is configured to stably support the front wheel even when the user steers a handle while the bike 10 is fixed. The center of the front wheel support 400 where the wheel of the bike is seated is dug to be concave and projected both side at a predetermined height so as to prevent the front wheel from being breakaway in the left and right direction of the front wheel.

The front wheel vibration generating unit 420 is configured to be connected with the front wheel support 400 to generate vibration. The vibration generating unit is configured to simulate the traveling sense which the user may feel while traveling on asphalt, gravel, sand, and the like or dynamic sense such as acceleration, brake, impact, and the like. The front wheel vibration generating unit 420 may be provided below the front wheel support 400 so as to prevent interference by changing the direction of the front wheel at the time of using the simulator. In this case, the vibration generating unit may be configured to include a servo valve so as to be actuated by using hydraulic pressure and configured to include an actuator.

The rear wheel support 500 is configured to support the rear wheel of the fixed bike 10. The rear wheel support 500 may be configured to comprising a load generating unit 510, a rolling guide 530, and a rear wheel vibration generating unit 520.

The load generating unit 520 is configured to transfer torque in close contact with the rear wheel. The load generating unit 510 may be configured to comprise a load wheel 511 and a load motor 512. The load wheel 511 rotates together as the rear wheel rotates in close contact with the rear wheel and the load motor 512 is connected to a gear or a shaft so as to transfer the rotary force from the load wheel 511.

The load wheel 511 may be formed with an appropriate width so as to continuously transfer the rotary force even when the bike 10 is tilted in the horizontal direction as the roll frame 300 rotates. In this case, the load wheel 511 is preferably configured with a width to transfer the rotary force even when the bike 10 is maximally tilted.

The load generating unit 510 may control the rear wheel to be accelerated or decelerated at the time of using the simulator. In this case, transferred torque may be applied in link with the slope of the slope frame 200. That is, when an ascending road is simulated, the slope frame is inclined rearward and the load generating unit 510 generates reverse torque to control force required for traveling to increase. On the contrary, when a descending road is simulated, since a velocity of the actual bike 10 increases due to gravity, the torque required for the traveling decreases, and as a result, the slope frame 200 is inclined forward and the load generating unit 510 generates forward torque.

A rolling guide 530 supports the rear wheel together with the load wheel 511 and is configured to rotate together with in contact with the rear wheel so as to smoothly rotate when the rear wheel rotates.

The rear wheel vibration generating unit 520 is configured to generate the vibration by simulating a state of the ground surface in the rear wheel to correspond to the front wheel vibration generating unit 420. The rear wheel vibration generating unit 520 may also be configured to comprise the servo valve and the actuator so as to generate the vibration by using the hydraulic pressure.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual view of a hydraulic system.

The hydraulic system may be configured to include a power unit and a hydraulic hose 600. The power unit 610 may be configured to generate power used in a slope adjusting unit 120, a rotary actuator 350, and the vibration generating unit. The hydraulic power unit 610 may be provided at one side of the simulator and include the hydraulic hose 600 for transferring the hydraulic pressure to each hydraulic element. In this case, the hydraulic hose may be constituted by a hard pipe so as to prevent the hydraulic hose from being damaged due to the interference, and the like. Meanwhile, the case in which the actuating unit uses the hydraulic pressure as the power is described as an example, but when the actuating unit is constituted by an electric type such as a motor, or the like, the actuating unit may be changed and applied to the power unit.

The sensor unit (not illustrated) is configured to measure the state of the bike 10, and the like and for the control while performing the simulation. The sensor unit may be configured to measure respective actuating elements or relative motions.

The sensor unit may include a position sensor so as to measure the slope of the bike 10 and configured to be provided in the hinge 250 or the rotary actuator 350 to measure the tilting angle. In addition, the sensor unit may include a sensor provided in the load generating unit 510, calculate a current traveling velocity by measuring a rotary velocity, and sense torque which applied to a current rear wheel. In addition, the sensor unit may be configured to comprising a sensor constituted by an LVDT, and the like so as to measure the vibration generated by the vibration generating unit. Further, the sensor unit may include the rotating position sensor provided in the front wheel support 400 so as to measure a steering angle of the handle of the bike 10, or the like. However, since constitution of the sensor for measuring various values depending on the attitude and the state is widely used, the description thereof will be omitted.

Hereinafter, a use state of an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are use state views of an embodiment. As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the slope of a first direction which is the tilted back and forth may be applied and the slope of a second direction which is the tilted left and right may be applied. The roll frame 300 may be connected to the slope frame 200 so that the first and second directions are vertical directions.

In this case, when the slope frame 200 is tilted in the first direction, the roll frame 300 is also tilted together. That is, the second direction is subordinate to the first direction, and as a result, the slope frame 200 and the roll frame 300 are tilted at θ in the first direction. In this case, the roll frame 300 is tilted at φ in the second direction on the tiled slope frame 200. The angle may be formed by various combinations according to the terrain and the velocity.

As the slope applied to simulate the traveling of the actual bike 10, the tilting back and forth depending on a hill or a downhill becomes the most important element.

Therefore, the tilting back and forth direction which is the slope in the first direction is first independently controlled and while the slope in the first direction is applied, the slope in the second direction is applied. In this case, an extreme realistic traveling sense similar to the traveling of the actual bike 10 may be transferred to the user in link with a display. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A bike simulator comprising: a base frame; a slope frame rotatably connected to the base frame so as to apply a tilting back and forth to a seated bike; a roll frame fixing a frame of the bike seated on the slope frame and rotatably connected to the slope frame so as to apply a tilting left and right to the bike; and a rear wheel support provided in the slope frame, which is supporting a rear wheel of the seated bike, and comprising a load generating unit configured to control torque transferred to the rear wheel.
 2. The bike simulator of claim 1, further comprising: a front wheel support provided in the slope frame, and movable back and forward so as to support a front wheel at the time of seating bikes having various sizes.
 3. The bike simulator of claim 2, further comprising: wherein the slope frame comprising hinges connected with the base frame, a slope adjusting unit configured to control a relative angle between the slope frame and the base frame.
 4. The bike simulator of claim 3, wherein the slope adjusting unit is configured by a linear actuator of which one end is connected with the slope frame and the other end is connected with the base frame.
 5. The bike simulator of claim 2, wherein the roll frame is configured in such a manner that a rotary axis is positioned in line to the front wheel support and the load generating unit so as to simulate a tilting left and right of the bike during actual traveling.
 6. The bike simulator of claim 5, wherein the roll frame comprising a fixing link which extends to a frame of the bike so as to prevent interference when the user uses the bike simulator.
 7. The bike simulator of claim 6, wherein the fixing link is configured to adjust a height and a length so as to fix bikes having different sizes.
 8. The bike simulator of claim 6, wherein the roll frame is configured to comprising a rotary actuator which is coaxially with the rotary axis.
 9. The bike simulator of claim 8, wherein the load generating unit comprising a load wheel and a load motor, the load wheel rotates together when the rear wheel rotates in contact with the rear wheel, and the load motor is configured to control torque applied to the load wheel.
 10. The bike simulator of claim 9, wherein the rear wheel support is configured to further comprising a rolling guide supporting the rear wheel at a apart from the load wheel at the time of seating the bike and rotating together with the rotation of the rear wheel.
 11. The bike simulator of claim 2, wherein the load generating unit is configured with a width to support the rear wheel when the bike fixed to the roll frame is tilted left and right by the rotation of the roll frame.
 12. The bike simulator of claim 2, wherein the front wheels support is comprising a rotary joint so as to support the front wheel when changing an angle of the front wheel depending on steering by the user.
 13. The bike simulator of claim 2, wherein the slope frame and the roll frame are driven by hydraulic pressure.
 14. The bike simulator of claim 2, wherein each of the rear wheel support and the front wheel support is further comprising a vibration generating unit configured to simulate a sense depending on a road surface during the actual traveling.
 15. A bike simulator comprising: a base frame; a slope frame configured to apply a tilting back and forth to a seated bike; a roll frame provided in the slope frame, fixing a frame of the bike seated on the slope frame at the rear side of the bike, and configured to apply a tilting left and right to the bike; a rear wheel support provided in the slope frame, supporting a rear wheel of the seated bike, and configured to control a resistance load when a user of the bike performs pedaling; and hinges provided at a location biased to the roll frame so that the slope frame and the base frame are configured to relatively rotate and a rotary center of the slope frame is adjacent to a center of gravity including a load applied to the slope frame.
 16. The bike simulator of claim 15, wherein the base frame is configured to be symmetric, the slope frame is positioned at the center of the base frame, and the hinges connect both sides of the slope frame with the base frame.
 17. The bike simulator of claim 16, wherein the hinges are provided at a location adjacent to the rear wheel rather than a front wheel of the bike when the bike is seated.
 18. The bike simulator of claim 15, further comprising: a vibration generating unit configured to simulate a sense depending on a road surface during actual traveling and provided adjacent to the front wheel and the rear wheel when the bike is seated.
 19. A bike simulator comprising: a slope frame configured to seat and fix various types of bikes and configured to independently a slope in a first direction to the fixed bike; a roll frame subordinate to the slope in the first direction of the bike and configured to apply a slope in a second direction which is vertical to the slope in the first direction; and a load generating unit configured to generate resistance to rotation of a wheel of the bike independently from the slope.
 20. The bike simulator of claim 19, wherein the slope in the first direction is back and forth slope while the bike is fixed, and the slope in the second direction is left and right slope while the bike is fixed. 